The present invention relates generally to coin escrow devices and, more specifically, to a coin escrow mechanism for the temporary storage of coins.
In the operation of metered rate pay telephones, it is important to temporarily accept a coin and hold that coin until the pending connection of the attempted phone call is made and the cost of the phone call is determined. The money that is placed into the escrow mechanism is considered to be credit. If the telephone call is not completed, the coins are to be refunded. If the telephone call is completed, then metered pulses from the telephone company""s central office are delivered to the phone. The metered pulses are based on time. The length of time for the phone call depends on how much credit (money) the user has placed into the escrow mechanism. When the call is completed the escrow mechanism delivers (or passes) coins to the coin box and can refund any unused balance of the credit. The unused portion of the credit to be refunded would be the remainder of the stored coins after the phone call debit was satisfied. The escrow would not necessarily refund exact change, but rather would refund the best change based on credit usage.
While there are mechanisms known in the prior art for providing a best change escrow mechanism, in general such mechanisms tend to suffer from reliability problems and jamming as a result of having to separate the coins into thick store and thin store holding zones. The known arrangements tend to be somewhat mechanically complex and require complex depot level adjustments. Accordingly, a need yet remains for a best change coin escrow mechanism that is simple, reliable, and resists jamming. It is to the provision of such a xe2x80x9cbest changexe2x80x9d coin escrow apparatus that the present invention is primarily directed.
Briefly described, in a preferred form the present invention comprises a xe2x80x9cbest changexe2x80x9d coin escrow mechanism for use in a pay telephone. The coin escrow apparatus preferably includes a housing defining a coin storage area, a coin acceptance path, a coin refund path, a coin reject path, a xe2x80x9ctrashxe2x80x9d chute and a coin deposit chute. In more preferred form, the coin escrow apparatus also includes a coin acceptance gate, coin release gate and a coin refund gate mounted within the housing for selective movement while processing coins.
The coin storage area is preferably comprised of a series of toggles that are operated by the kinetic and potential energy of coins. For example, each coin storage area preferably comprises a lower toggle pivotal upon contact with a stored coin, and an upper toggle cooperating with the lower toggle to block passage along the accepted coin path into the coin storage area while the stored coin is retained in the coin storage area.
According to a further preferred form, the coin escrow housing comprises two halves, one of which is pivotally mounted to the other, to allow for ease of cleaning and the easy removal of coin jams.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method of retaining a plurality of coins in escrow and sequentially releasing the plurality of coins. Generally described, the method comprises the steps of receiving deposited coins and directing the coins along a coin path, storing the coins in a series of coin storage areas along the coin path, with each said coin storage area adapted to retain one of the coins, and sequentially advancing each one of the coins through each of said coin storage areas.
The step of storing the coins in a series of coin storage areas preferably comprises receiving a stored coin into a coin storage area comprising a lower toggle and a cooperating upper toggle, whereby entry of the stored coin into the coin storage area pivots the lower toggle between a first position and a second position, and advances a portion of the upper toggle to block the coin path and prevent advancement of a following coin into the coin storage area. Furthermore, the step of sequentially advancing each one of the coins through each of the coin storage areas preferably comprises releasing the stored coin from the coin storage area, thereby allowing the lower toggle to return to the first position and retracting the upper toggle from the coin path to permit advancement of the following coin into the coin storage area.
The coin escrow apparatus according to the present invention has numerous advantages. Firstly, it is mechanically very simple, rugged, and reliable. Furthermore, the coin escrow apparatus is capable of handling a large dimensional variation in coin sizes without the use of multiple coin paths or complex mechanisms requiring many adjustments to handle various coin sizes.